News Release — March 5, 2002

Austin Psychiatrist Probes the Mind of Painter Frida Kahlo

The Ransom Center, in collaboration with the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, is pleased to welcome Austin psychiatrist Shiree C. Flume, M.D. for a lecture on the psychological aspects of Frida Kahlo's art. One of the most recognizable painters of the twentieth century, Kahlo often depicted physical suffering and emotional loneliness perhaps due to her involvement in a near-fatal accident early in life and her turbulent relationship with the painter Diego Rivera.

Shiree Flume will discuss the concept of "the unconscious," and employs Kahlo's art to illustrate psychological conflicts surrounding the issues of death and sexuality. Dr. Flume has served as Associate Director of Psychiatric Education at Brackenridge Hospital and is currently a private practitioner.

This event is part of the spring series of programs associated with the blockbuster exhibition From Gutenberg to Gone With The Wind: Treasures from the Ransom Center on display at the LBJ Library and Museum through April 30, 2002. The lecture is free and open to the public.